November Shop & Hop with Laura’s Loft

Today, I am hopping with Laura over at Laura’s Loft! We have a group of amazing, talented women on this hop, so be sure you check out each stop along the way.

And if you do, Laura has a giveaway each month for all the hoppers who visit each stop and show some love for the design team. (Details are below.) You can find complete rules and a picture of this month’s prize over at Laura’s Loft on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Lauras.Loft.Shop.

As another bonus, all Avery Elle product is 20% off at the Shop through November 28, 2015 with coupon code AE20%

If you need to start at the beginning, click HERE to go to the Laura’s Loft Blog. You probably arrived here from Jasmine’s blog, so if you need to return to her blog, click HERE.

Even though I simply can’t believe it’s November already–we had an 80 degree day last week, so it just doesn’t seem fall-ish to me–it’s time to start switching into holiday mode. Each year, I try to find new ways to give gift cards for my hard to please people. Last year, I hid white envelopes on our white Christmas tree. This year, I’m going a different route and making penguin gift card holders. They’ll look like little ornaments hanging on the tree and they are the perfect size (if you’re careful with hat placement) to fit into a standard size card.

I started with the We R Memory Keepers 1-2-3 Punch Board. I used a piece of black cardstock (my favorite Blackberry Swirl Smoothie by Bazzill which scores and folds beautifully) and some scraps of colored cardstock, some small black Teresa Collins bling for the eyes, and a 1-3/4″ circle punch. It’s a quick and easy project that would be a great way to get little people involved in gift giving.

To start, make the smallest envelope size on the Punch Board. Follow the instructions on the board for the first envelope. On the original Punch Board, those directions call for a 5″ square piece of cardstock. On the 1-2-3 Punch Board, the directions call for a 5-1/8″ square. Either way works for a standard size gift card. Score and fold as usual, but don’t adhere quite yet.

You’ll need to trim a little off the sides of the two long flaps. Once you’ve snipped off about 1/4″ on each, fold them in first and then fold one short flap up and over them. Adhere using glue or adhesive (I used Scotch ATG tape) only on the top long flap and the short flap. That way you won’t run the risk of the gift card getting stuck inside the pocket.

The remaining flap creates the head of the penguin and the opening for the card to slide in. Cut a 2-1/4″ x 3-1/2″ square of white cardstock. This covers all the seams. Adhere it down, but don’t cover the top flap/head. Remember, that has to remain open.

Now it’s time to embellish to turn the black and white gift card holder into a penguin. Here’s what I used:

One black punched circle cut in half for the wings

One white circle trimmed down for the face

One red triangle with corners rounded on the 1-2-3 Punch Board

Some small pieces for orange for the beak and feet

A white hand-cut scrap turned into the fuzzy part on the hat

Little Teresa Collins bling gems for the eyes

Like I said, simple and cute. You could cut out all the pieces and let the little people you know assemble them.

I hope you enjoyed this simple project using the We R Memory Keepers 1-2-3- Punch Board. Now it’s time to head on over to the next stop on the hop and don’t forget to leave a little blog love so you can be entered into the giveaway. Rules, and a complete list of all the hoppers, are below.

About Me

I’m a mom, a writer, a reader, and a long-time crafter of the eclectic sort. Crochet, papercrafting, quilting, sewing: I love it all! I’m short with green eyes and a pug nose. All else, including hair color, is subject to change without notice!

Disclosure

I participate in several affiliate programs, including Amazon and Hallmark Scrapbook, which means I get a small commission if you purchase an item through one of the links on my blog or YouTube channel. My participation in these programs does not affect the prices you see on the items.